Additional August developments for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Reprising a prior post, the 2025 Rubin Community Workshop has not only happened, but now has presentations posted online: project.lsst.org/excitement-and-collaboration-2025-rubin-community-workshop There are now more details on the status update, keynote presentation,… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (August-B)
This week will see the 16th Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting, in Boulder, CO (SwRI campus). It will actually overlap the Instrumentation for Planetary Missions Workshop, also in Boulder. As a subfield of geophysics, cratering can be purely theoretical and body-independent.… Read More »Planetary Crater Consortium Meeting 2025
Wow, good Astronomy & Astrophysics for July (vol 699): Smirnov, E. A. Chaotic diffusion and transient resonance captures of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 A26 202554489 Läuter, M. and Kramer, T. Rotation dynamics and torque efficiency of cometary nuclei A75 202553845… Read More »Note, Paper: A&A Eleven Ways
Space Science Reviews, vol. 221 (yes, that SpaceSciRev) covers the Hera flight to Didymos: Michel, P. Küppers, M. Fitzsimmons, A. et al. The Hera Space Mission in the Context of Small Near-Earth Asteroid Missions in the Past, Present and Future … Read More »Space Science Reviews Hera
This week saw the annual UK Space Conference. It’s true that most of this meeting concerned commercial or workforce topics, and therefore Earth orbit flights and related subjects. However: https://www.spaceconference.co.uk/2025/programme Thursday 17 July2:50 PM – 3:30 PM24BK021: Asteroids: The UK… Read More »UK Space Conference 2025
MetSoc 2025 continues (see Day 1). We have another packed schedule, here’s another cull of my more asteroid-relevant items: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2025/technical_program/ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Carbonaceous Chondrites and Chondritic Components 1 Patkar A. et al.Invited Presentation: Distribution of Water Concentrations in… Read More »Meteoritical Society Meeting 2025, Day 2
Courtesy of Planetary Science News: NEO SURVEYOR MOVING OBJECT SCIENTIST AT IPAC The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech invites applications for the position of Moving Object Scientist for the NEO Surveyor Survey Data System (NSDS). IPAC is… Read More »NEOSM Listing
Okay, one more Rubin Observatory post: gizmodo.com/rubin-observatorys-stunning-result-proves-its-a-game-changer-for-spotting-dangerous-asteroids-2000621581 I’ve already posted that the Vera Rubin Observatory will be– and now demonstrates it is– the new and undisputed champion of asteroid discovery. Let the conspiracy theory nuts take heed: NASA is not… Read More »Vera Rubin Upstanding
2024 YR4 aside (no, it will NOT kill you), we should give asteroids their proper due. Asteroids are clues left over from the early Solar System, and contain presolar grains (crystals that predate the Sun and planets). Asteroids (the NEOs-… Read More »Happy Asteroid Day!
Yes, it’s time for the 33rd Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG). https://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/meetings/sbagjune2025/ See the schedule: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/sbagjune2025/technical_program/?session_no=101 Really, the overarching theme was the strangling of planetary science, and not just at small bodies. We are talking about… Read More »Summer 2025 SBAG Meeting, Day 1